Winter Whispers
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: Cedric ventures outside one evening when he's unable to sleep. While walking, he recalls an encounter he wasn't expecting. ["So believe that she matters, and believe that she always will! She will always be with you-she'll be part of the days you've yet to feel... For all your days of plenty..." (Little Women's "Days of Plenty")]


Winter Whispers

Summary: Cedric ventures outside one evening when he's unable to sleep. While walking, he recalls an encounter he wasn't expecting.

Disclaimer: I don't own "Sofia the First."

A/N: I really need to stop listening to Broadway songs… lol. Again music inspired this story (specifically, "Days of Plenty" from "Little Women" and again "All That Matters" from "Finding Neverland"), along with recent Día de los Muertos events (including the "Elena of Avalor" episode). Hope you enjoy!

*STORY*

Cedric sighed and massaged his temples. It was late, and the candles set up around his workshop were beginning to wane in their light as the wicks shrank farther into the wax. He had been working since the early hours of the morning and hadn't yet stopped, except a minor break to eat at the king's behest.

He had been somewhat preoccupied the last few days, attempting to perfect his new potions and spells. With Sofia gone on a school trip for a few days with the other children from Royal Prep (including James and Amber), he had more free time than usual. He detested the silence of the usually active tower and had decided to create a diversion for himself.

It was consuming him.

He finally set aside his materials and glanced at the perch where Wormwood was already sleeping. Mumbling something to himself, Cedric used his wand to illuminate another candle before blowing out the others.

He walked toward his door and grasped the handle, frowning as he heard something faint…almost like a whisper.

 _Rest, my friend…_

"Hmm," he sighed again. "You _would_ have said that…" Cedric turned the knob and exited, descending his staircase.

The ground outside was covered with snow, a few little flowers attempting to push their way through the ivory blanket. Baileywick's ice lilies Sofia had given him a few Wassailias ago had impressed him so much that Queen Miranda had planted a few plots of similar winter resistant flowers nearby (since ice lilies were hard to come by at the moment). They swayed with the wind and shone as starlight glittered down onto them.

Cedric shuffled through the snow before reaching a place he deemed perfect. After all…it was _their_ place where they had shared so much all those years ago.

*Past Memory*

" _I knew I would find you here."_

 _Cedric looked up from the small pond he had been staring into and blinked in surprise. "Your Majesty?" He frowned in concern. "What are you doing here? You will catch ill."_

 _The Queen merely smiled ironically as Cedric mentally slapped himself for his poor choice in words. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Cedric. I have come to accept my situation. Well, no…that's not completely true." She sat down near the pond's edge and removed her shoes before lowering her feet into the water._

 _The sorcerer was at a loss for words. The Queen wasn't exactly one to just 'be at one with nature' or whatever. Perhaps her situation had changed her perspective. He assumed if he had been in her shoes, so to speak, he would probably experience the same thing._

" _I wouldn't say I am completely at ease with this whole thing, because that would mean I have given up." She looked up at her friend. "I haven't, Cedric. I am just…at peace, I suppose." She glanced at the water. "After all, when time is fleeting and words no longer heal, peace is all that remains, right?" She smiled toward him and patted the ground beside her._

 _Cedric's eyes widened in surprise before he hesitantly sat next to her. After a few moments of silence, he spoke: "Whatever will this kingdom do without you?"_

" _It will thrive. It must go on without me, for even though I may not be here physically, I will never truly be gone."_

 _He sighed. If he was honest with himself, he had to admit he was a bit of a cynic and had a hard time processing her words. He wanted to believe what she was saying, but he did not know how. "How…? How can you be so positive about this?"_

 _The Queen smiled sadly and patted his hand gently. "Because it's all I have, Cedric. I don't want to leave Roland, Amber, James, Baileywick…the kingdom…you. I don't want to leave you all behind, but… Well, let's not think about that right now." She giggled softly when a butterfly landed on her hand, and she removed hers from Cedric's hand. "I love butterflies… So majestic yet gentle."_

 _Cedric folded his arms and leaned onto his legs. "Indeed…"_

 _She smiled at his obvious relation and allowed the butterfly to flutter off before leaning over and hugging him gently. She released him when he stiffened at the unexpected contact. "Thank you, Cedric. For…well, everything you have done for me. I know the outcome isn't quite what we were hoping for, but I appreciate that you never gave up on me."_

 _He gave her a meaningful smile this time and nodded. "I'll always be there for you if you need me, Your Majesty. No illness or anything else could change that."_

 _She smiled. "Thank you, my friend."_

*Present Day*

Cedric paused and ran his arms over his sleeves, generating some heat to his shivering arms. It was much colder than he'd anticipated. The moon was full and some light clouds still lingered in the sky.

He began walking slowly again and stopped when he reached the small pond. He imagined the former queen sitting there as she always did, her feet dangling into the water—so unlike a typical royal, of course. She'd wear one of those pastel dresses she liked so much with her hair—as blonde as her children's—tumbling down her back in waves deemed too challenging for the average royal hairdresser. He chuckled at the thought. Yes, The Queen had been one of a kind.

" _Cedric…_ "

Cedric gasped and looked around, seeing nothing except the swaying trees from the wind and the water stirring lightly. "It's just the wind," he told himself as he folded his arms to his chest, returning to his previous motion of warming himself against the cold.

A slight stir caught his eye and he turned to the left to see a small purple and gold butterfly flittering around his head. He had every intention of shooing it away, but for some reason, this particular one captured his attention. It was so peaceful and serene, so…gentle and…familiar.

He looked down as the butterfly landed on his hand and stayed for a few moments, its wings moving slightly with the winter winds. Slowly, he lifted his hand to look at the tiny creature a bit closer.

The butterfly chose that moment to alight again. It fluttered around his head a few times before taking off through the air to some new and unknown destination…and then it vanished.

Cedric blinked and rubbed his eyes; surely that butterfly hadn't… Then again, he lived in an enchanted kingdom and practiced magic daily. Nothing really surprised him anymore, but there were a few things that still baffled him sometimes. Then again, maybe he didn't need to know everything. Mystery made life more interesting, right?

A soft giggle, somewhat faded and distant, echoed through the nighttime.

Cedric finally smiled in realization. "Hmm… Thank you…Your Majesty."

The end


End file.
